EASTERN COLLEGE REPORT

By WILLIAM N. WALLACE

Published: October 23, 1992

C. W. Post

Sean Sharkey, the St. John's quarterback, might pay a little extra attention tonight against C. W. Post at Redmen Field in Queens. The Pioneers are going to come at Sharkey with blitzes from inside and outside. That was the formula against Iona's Billy Hyland last week and the Gaels' passer never had a chance. There were 13 sacks by Post defenders and three passes intercepted in a 24-0 victory.

Tailback Joe Brusca, who had 218 yards rushing against Iona, will again be the spearhead of the Post offense. St. John's has its own super running back in Tony Russo, who has gained 820 yards in six games.

The Pioneers' Liberty Conference record is 2-0-1. Wagner is 3-0 in the conference, and St. John's is 2-1. The next decisive match comes one week from tomorrow: Wagner at Post. Wagner

The Seahawks, 5-1 over all, travel to Glassboro, N.J., to take on Rowan, one of only four undefeated and untied teams among the 86 Division III competitors in the Eastern College Athletic Conference.

Rowan used to be known as Glassboro State, but the school's name was changed earlier this year in recognition of a major benefactor. But the uniforms still say Glassboro. "We didn't have time to order new ones," said John Bunting, the former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker now in his fifth season as head coach.

The Wagner-Rowan contest will have an impact on the selection of four teams from the East to compete in the Division III national tournament, which begins Nov. 21.

Two Rowan standouts have been inside linebackers Joe Low and Bruce Davis. The latter is a transfer from Delaware State with pro potential, according to Bunting.

The usual high expectations apply for Wagner's senior quarterback, Terry O'Hare, who is closing in on several Seahawk career passing records. Another ace is Ryan Tobin, the linebacker and co-captain who averages 13 tackles a game and has five sacks.

The other undefeated and untied ECAC teams are Ithaca, 6-0; Middlebury, 4-0, and Rochester, 6-0. Ithaca

The Bombers, who have outscored six opponents by a hefty margin of 263-75, may face a bit of a challenge at home tomorrow against Buffalo State. That's because Buffalo State is smarting some from its first defeat, a 19-15 upset by Buffalo, after four victories.

Ithaca's Jeff Wittman, an outstanding running back, has now scored 13 touchdowns and is averaging 7 yards per carry. The Bombers' winning streak is at 15 and they continue to be ranked No. 1 in the N.C.A.A. East poll.

Buffalo State is a State University of New York college with 10,000 students. The team nickname is the Bengals. Jerry Boyes, an Ithaca alumnus, is the head coach and last year's team had a 9-2 record that included a playoff victory over Worcester Tech for the ECAC Northeast title.

The University of Buffalo is also a SUNY institution, one with 18,000 students, and the nickname is the Bulls. Last Saturday's victory over Buffalo State was a big one for the first-year coach, Jim Ward, a onetime star at Maryland. The Bulls (2-5) play host to Hofstra (4-3) tomorrow. New Haven

The undefeated Chargers' 66-7 trouncing of American International failed to advance the team in the national Division II poll. New Haven (6-0) stayed in sixth place.

New Haven, whose offense averages 631.7 yards and 55.3 points a game, plays its crosstown rival, Southern Connecticut (3-3) tomorrow. The typical Charger score this season has been 55-27 and running back Roger Graham has gained 1,153 yards, 192 per game. Lafayette

The Leopards, the pre-season choice of the coaches to win the Patriot League championship, play their first league game tomorrow, at Fordham. In splitting six out-of-conference contests, Lafayette has defined itself as a team that will trade touchdowns with any foe and remain competitive to the final second.

Its average score has been 34-31 and the losses were to Princeton by 3 points, Cornell by 11 and Army by 2.

Tom Kirchnoff, the 6-foot-3-inch, 210-pound quarterback, is having "as good a season as you could ask for," said Coach Bill Russo. Add Erik Marsh, ranked No. 5 among I-AA rushing leaders, and there's a potent offensive duo. Defense? Don't ask. Sacred Heart

Last season, the first football team at the school in Fairfield, Conn., won five of nine games and everyone was delighted. This season is another story. The Pioneers have lost all five games and play Catholic at home tomorrow. Coach Gary Reho even tried his star linebacker, Dave LeSage, at quarterback and the result was one pass completion for five yards against Nichols.